The Scoop on Ice Cream

A summer tradition that is hard to beat is making homemade ice cream.

For safety’s sake, make sure that your homemade ice cream recipe is up-to-date.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not recommend eating uncooked fresh, shell eggs due to the possibility that pathogenic bacteria may be present and could result in foodborne illness. Persons most at risk of foodborne illness include the elderly, infants and preschool-age children, pregnant women, individuals taking certain medications and individuals who are recovering from major surgery or who have preexisting or chronic illnesses.

Many of the ice cream recipes used in earlier days include raw eggs and are not considered safe unless a few simple steps are followed. Homemade ice cream recipes can be made safe by preparing a cooked base. Egg mixtures are safe if they reach 160°F. Heat the egg-milk mixture gently. Use a bimetallic stemmed thermometer (available at a local retail outlet) to verify that 160°F has been reached. Generally, the mixture will thicken and coat a metal spoon at this temperature. Chill the heated mixture in the refrigerator before freezing in an ice cream freezer.